1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a guide or drill stop useful to regulate cutting or drilling to a desired depth. More specifically, the invention is directed to a hollow cylindrical sleeve that optionally includes a rotating collar which may be made in various lengths and diameters in order to regulate the depth of cutting or drilling and may be utilized with various sizes of cutting tools, e.g., drill bits.
2. State of the Art
Cutting tools and especially drill bits are widely used in the construction, carpentry, woodworking and metal working trades and the like. Drilling, in particular, is a common operation for drilling a cylindrical hole with a one- or two-lipped straight-fluted or twist drill. (Other cutting operations include boring, reaming, Trepanning and the like.)
Machines used in drilling include manually operated and power drills as well as various types of drilling machines such as a bench drill press, an upright drill press, and a radial drill press. In all these types of machines, the spindle rotates in a sleeve or quill which does not rotate but is free to move axially to provide the necessary feed for the drill.
The straight-shank twist drills, which have a cylindrical shank of the same diameter as the drill itself, are generally held either in a three-jaw or two-jaw chuck. Most hand-held drills have three-jaw chucks. Both types of chucks are generally held by inserting an arbor in a tapered hole in the body of the chuck, which in turn is held by inserting its tapered shank in the spindle socket.
For wood drilling, in particular, it is often necessary to drill only to a specific depth. For example, where a hinge is to be attached to such members as cabinet doors, shutters and the like, it is not desirable to drill completely through such members. Furthermore, it is desired only to drill to sufficient depth for the screw to be set for purposes of strength of the seating of the screw. Various drill stops and drill stop collars have been developed to limit the depth the drill bit enters the wood or drilling material. However, the drill stops previously developed do not always give the desired precision, are not easy to manufacture, may vibrate loose during drilling, and are not necessarily easy to use or assemble.